AT&T encourages teens to wait to text

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) -- Some West Hartford high school kids got a real life lesson on the dangers of texting and driving.

AT&T brought out its high tech texting and driving simulator to Conard High School to show kids how easily they can lose control if they are texting behind the wheel.

"What the simulator enables us to do is to show students that really they are focusing as drivers, that they might be very good at texting, but they might not be so good at driving yet," said Peter Cummings, the school's principal.

A recent AT&T study shows 77 percent of teens have seen their parents text and drive, and texting drivers are 23 times more likely to be in an accident.

There have been more than 100,000 car wrecks with injuries caused by texting behind the wheel.